Integration in Action

Cynthia LaBrake profile picture

LaBrake appointed Director for OPPS

Dear UTMB Community,

We are thrilled to welcome Cynthia LaBrake, PhD, to our community in the inaugural role of Director, Office of Personalized Professional Success (OPPS). In this role, Dr. LaBrake will lead the development of a comprehensive and innovative alternative credentialing program namely micro-credentials and digital badges.

Dr. LaBrake is a mission-driven program development leader and award-winning educator with over 20 years of experience in growing educational and training programs from ideation through launch. She holds a PhD in Biophysical Chemistry from Loyola University Chicago and a BS in Chemistry with Honors from West Virginia University. Her extensive experience includes curriculum development, workforce-aligned micro-credentials, digital badging, and backward design, making her an invaluable addition to our team.

Dr. LaBrake’s recent role as the College of Natural Sciences (CNS) Badging Leadership Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin showcases her expertise in leading the development of governance structures to support the adoption of micro-credentials and digital badging within the undergraduate curriculum. She has led multi-institutional efforts to develop biotech micro-credentials aligned with workforce needs, securing significant funding to support these initiatives, including a $50K Texas Higher Education Workforce Micro-Credential Planning Grant and a $130K donor grant matched by UT System and CNS.

Her experience as a Professor of Instruction at UT Austin further underscores her commitment to educational excellence. She has led the redesign of degree plans and large enrollment courses to align with workforce demands, taught biochemistry and chemistry to thousands of students, and secured funding for innovative curriculum development projects.

Dr. LaBrake’s extensive background in program development, coupled with her leadership in team formation, change management, and strategic planning, aligns perfectly with the goals of the OPPS. In her new role, she will be responsible for driving innovative approaches to learning, including the development of micro-credentials, marketing, and metric tracking to meet market needs and generate revenue. In the initial months, she will also work on identifying and meeting with key stakeholders across the institution; gaining an understanding of UTMB and our current educational landscape and systems including an assessment of current certificate programs/offerings; creating a Visionary Task Force to help guide and implement UTMB’s strategic plan related to micro-credentials; as well as develop a strategic plan and marketing strategy including short- and long-term goals and tactics to build a sustainable program.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Cynthia LaBrake to our team and celebrating her commitment to educational innovation and student success!

Sincerely,

Charles P. Mouton, MD, MS, MBA
Executive Vice President, Provost, and Dean, John Sealy School of Medicine
Thomas N. and Gleaves T. James Distinguished Chair

Deborah J. Jones, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN
Chief Integration Officer
Senior Vice President and Dean, School of Nursing
Rebecca Sealy Distinguished Centennial Chair